Mason Nanotechnology Initiative, Coordinator E. Blaisten-Barojas



		Daniel M. Anderson Email: danders1-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor of Mathematics Department of Mathematical Sciences College of Science
I am interested in developing mathematical modeling and scientific computing techniques to study problems arising in nanoscience and nanotechnology that involve fluid dynamics. Particular topics may involve capillary phenomena occuring during the spreading of micro- and nano-scale fluid droplets on solid substrates, fluid flow through nano-scale porous media, and flows in microchannels.

		Barney Bishop Email: bbishop1-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Science
The proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria represents a significant risk to human health. Natural selection has evolved mechanisms by which higher organisms utilize biomolecules such as peptides to neutralize potential invading pathogens. These molecules provide models for understanding how to combat infection under physiological conditions. I am interested in employing protein/peptide design and nanoengineering principles in order to investigate these antimicrobial peptides and develop novel therapeutic strategies and technologies at the nanoscale.
		Estela Blaisten-Barojas Email: blaisten-at-gmu.edu Director of Computational Materials Science Center Professor of Computational Physics Computational and Data Sciences Department College of Science
Clusters of atoms and molecules display structural and dynamical properies that are in the nanometer and nanosecond length and time scales. For that reason the study of their electronic, thermodynamic, and structural properties is of importance in several processes leading to the design of new devices in nanelectronics, optics, ceramics, aerogels, just to mention a few. We have contibuted to undertand several of these processes with studies in which we simulate the cluster dynamics at the atomic level. To achieve that we develop novel interaction models to represent the intermolecular forces between atoms of metallic clusters and of several molecular clusters such as conducting polymers, silica and calcite. Publications
		Rajesh Ganesan Email: rganesan-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor Volgeneau School of Engineering Systems Engineering & Operations Research Department
Dr. Rajesh Ganesan's research interests include real time process monitoring and control of nanomachining processes. The research uses wavelet based multiscale statistical analysis approach to monitoring and control of nanoscale processes. Applications in Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP), a key step in silicon wafer manufacturing, are being researched. Some of his published work includes wavelet based identification of delamination defect in CMP using nonstationary acoustic emission signal, and accurate end point detection in CMP using wavelet analysis and sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). Currently, research is ongoing to develop process control algorithms for the CMP processes.
		Igor Griva Email: igriva-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor Department of Mathematical Sciences College of Science
My research involves developing new primal-dual algorithms for nonlinear constrained optimization, their mathematical analysis, efficien t implementation and application to problems in computational learning, radiation treatment planning, power generation and transmission. My optimization based computational analysis includes investigation of light enhancement and propagation in nanostructures and estima tion of electron transfer rates in proteins and molecular wires.
		Robert V. Honeychuck Email: rhoneych-at-gmu.edu Associate Professor of Chemistry Department of Chemistry College of Science
We are developing a laboratory program with preparative and analytical components to research the placement of certain organic molecules onto graphite in defined arrays. The overall philosophy is to use bottom-up (building) techniques in addition to/as a eplacement for top-down (lithographic) methods. The structures to be made include ono- and multi-layered collections of molecules placed on solid planar surfaces with exact XY coordinates. The expected applications are in molecular or multi-molecular scale electronics, ultra-sensitive chemical detection, and anti-microbial surfaces for heavily used public items such as doorknobs and escalator hand rails. Use of standard lithographic techniques in conjunction with the deposition of organics will help in the validation phase.

		Dimitris Ioannou Email: dioannou-at-ece.gmu.edu Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Volgeneau School of Engineering Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering
His research interests in nanotechnology are in the area of Silicon on Insulator (SOI) nanodevices and nanoelectronics. He has wide experience on SOI technology, covering basic materials studies, device physics and characterization, hot carrier reliability and electrostatic discharge protection, and SOI integrated circuit design for high performance and low-power/low-voltage applications. His current emphasis is on nanoscale SOI transistors and multigate structures, and design of integrated circuits based on these structures, including devise physics considerations that allow to take best advantage of the properties of these unique structures. He has long established, strong collaborations with (among others) IBM, AMD, Honeywell, Motorola, and NRL.
		Fatah Kashanchi Email: fkashanc-at-gmu.edu Professor College of Science School of Systems Biology
For the past twenty years his lab has been interested in understanding the mechanism of viral gene expression in human viruses and how the virus and the host control the dynamics of fundamental machineries needed for viral replication and/or host survival. His lab has ample experience with chromatin remodeling complexes and epigenetic modifications, host signaling events as therapeutic targets and investigating novel inhibitors to control viral replication. In recent years, they have started focusing on the use of humanized animals for many of their studies. The lab also has focused heavily on delivery of drugs and detection of viral and other significant organelles (exosomes) using nanotechnology. These include use of biodegradable molecules for packaging of therapeutics as well as use of nanoparticles in vitro to detect viruses and/or exosomes.
		Dmitri Klimov Email: dklimov-at-gmu.edu Professor School of Systems Biology College of Science
My research interests are focused on two areas of computational study of protein aggregation and unfolding. The first is focused on the assembly of Abeta amyloids, which cause Alzheimer's disease. The second involves the computational investigation of forced (mechanical) unfolding of proteins. The proposed research program is based on the all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of proteins or peptides in explicit solvent. Both topics are highly important for understanding the molecular aspects of Alzheimer's disease and mechanical functions of proteins in living organisms.
		Qiliang Li Email: qli6-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor Volgeneau School of Engineering Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Our research focuses on a broad area of solid state nanoelectronics materials and devices. We are interested in: (i) high performance nanoscale field effect transistor, the basic building block of all kinds of nanoelectronics device and circuitry, (ii) nanoscale SONOS-like non-volatile memory, (iii) highly sensitive nanoscale optical, chemical and bio sensors, (iv) nanoelectromechanical system, and (v) nanostructure-based dye-sensitized solar cells.
		Lance Liotta Email: lliotta-at-gmu.edu Co-director Applied Proteomics & Molecular Medicine College of Science Prince Williams Campus
His research interests in proteonics belong to an active field of nanotechnology.
		Carolina Salvador Morales Email: csalvado-at-gmu.edu Assitant Professor Bioengineering Department Volgeneau School of Engineering
Her research interests in synthesis of functionalized metallic and polymeric nanoparticles, colloidal chemistry, and proteonics belong to active fields of nanotechnology.
		John A. Schreifels Email: jschreif-at-gmu.edu Associate Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Science
Ultra thin layers of compounds on a surface can control the surface properties of the material. Certain molecules decompose during their adsorption at very low coverage. An ultra thin layer (less than 1/3 of a monolayer) may form and be dispersed on the surface. These fragments can be characterized using CTPD, a temperature programmed desorption technique that was developed here and has been found to be essential for determining the identity of the decomposition fragments produced. This technique can also provide information about the way three dimensional nanostructures of this substance forming on the surface. Finally, changes in the electronic environment of the adsorbed compounds can be studied with photoelectron spectroscopy in the same instrument and just prior to performing CTPD studies.
		Amarda Shehu Email: amarda-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Volgeneau School of Engineering
My research is in the area of computational structural biology and biophysics with a focus on issues concerning the relationship between sequence, structure, dynamics, and function of biological molecules. In particular, my lab focuses on protein modeling, and we develop probabilistic search and optimization algorithms to feasibly compute structures, motions, and assembly of protein molecules. Our emphasis is on efficient yet accurate conformational search algorithms able to provide a detailed microscopic characterization of biological systems in terms of structural states available for the purpose of function and conformational rearrangements employed for the purpose of modulating function.
		Howard Sheng Email: hsheng-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor Department of Computational and Data Sciences College of Science
My interests focus on understanding the structure and property relationships of metastable materials, such as metallic glasses and nano-structured materials. Materials as such are characterized by their lack of long-range atomic periodicity (as in metallic glasses) or by their high degrees of defects (as in nano-structured materials). Owing to their unique structural features, these emerging materials exhibit unusual physical properties and play an important role in advanced technologies at the nanoscale and beyond. Current research areas include challenging topics on the frontier of metastable materials research: (1) Atomic-level structural analysis of amorphous materials; (2) Phase transitions in glasses and liquids; (3) Properties and their atomistic mechanisms of metastable materials. These endeavors involve extensive computer modeling and simulation of materials, varying from first-principles calculations based on quantum mechanics to large-scale classical molecular dynamics to continuum analysis. In addition to computer simulation, my research incorporates state-of-the-art structural characterization employing synchrotron X-ray diffraction conducted at Advanced Photon Source. Here, the research goal is to develop new computational algorithms and approaches to effectively deal with difficult problems in materials research, to understand fundamental issues in materials science, and to design new materials of scientific and technological importance.
		Ming Tian Email: mtian1-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor College of Science Department of Physics and Astronomy
Laser atomic spectroscopy, nonlinear and quantum optics, and quantum information. Currently focused on rare-earth based solid state quantum memory and quantum computation, which are the important elements in developing quantum information science and technology. The research topics also include laser spectroscopic properties of rare-earth ions trapped in inorganic crystals at cryogenic temperature, the coherent and incoherent processes under the excitation of composite laser pulses, and the influence of the static electric and magnetic fields. Study of these processes provides the information needed to set up the physical systems to demonstrate quantum memory and quantum computation and analyze and optimize the performance. Research activities include experimental investigation and theoretical modeling of mechanisms at the nanoscale.
		Erhai Zhao Email: ezhao2-at-gmu.edu Assistant Professor College of Science School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences
My research focuses on superconducting materials and quantum transport in mesoscopic and nanoscale heterostructures. I have a persisten t interest in superconductors driven out of equilibrium, especially in spatial inhomogeneous systems. Modeling and understanding their d ynamics require techniques in quantum field theory and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The research is driven by the spectacular s uccess of fabricating superconducting nanostructures and circuits for electronic, spintronic, as well as quantum computing applications. More broadly, we investigate the transport properties of mesoscopic to nano-devices based on correlated heterostructures. Other interes ts include strongly correlated superconductors, which refer to superconducting and related phases arising from lattice systems with stro ng local repulsive interaction (doped Mott insulators), and topological superconductors. These are primarily motivated by ongoing experi ments in transition metal oxides and doped topological insulators.